Signaling device for vehicles



Aug. 11,1931. 7 M. E. HOVER SIGNALING DEVICE FOR VEHICLES Filed Nov. '7, 1950 INVENTOR. Mo/vrr: E. HovE/a BY ATTORNEYS.

Patented Au 11, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE IONTE E. HOVEB, OF VENICE, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF FORGET-EIGHT PER CENT TO ABTHURCROXFOBD, OI SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH SIGNALING DEVICE FOR VEHICLES Appllcation'flerl November 7, 1930; Serial Nae-94,126.

My invention rel-ates to and has for a ,purpose the provisions of; a signalin device referably although not necessari y in the cm of a human figure having movably mounted arms constituting signal members, and embodying mechanism of simple and substantial construction, whichvin the applied position of the figure at the rear window of a vehicle is operable automatically in, response to checking of the vehicles forward motion, to actuate the arms and move the latter momentarily from a normal lowered or non-signaling position to a raised or si naling position, thereby providing a visua indication for caution on the part of I the driver of a following vehicle in order to avoid a collision.

I will describe onl two forms of signal- --ing-device for vehic es embodying my invention, and will then point out the novel features thereof in claims.

In the accompanyin drawings:

Figure 1 is a view s owing in rear elevation, one form of signaling device for vehicles, embodying my invention.

Figure/2 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 22 of Figure 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

F i re 3'is a view similar to .Figure'l and showing a second form of si naling device embodying my invention, and

Figure 4 is a view in side elevation of the form of my invention shown in Figure 3.

Referring specifically to the drawings and particularly to Figures 1 and 2, this form of my invention comprises a flat body of cardboard, hard rubber or other suitable material, having the configuration of a human figure 10 preferably simulating a uniform traffic oflicer, the arms 11 and 11 of a the figure being movable and pivotally mounted thereon to occupy either the lowered ornon-signaling position shown in full lines in Figure 1 or the raised or signalin position shown in broken lines. If desire the arms on their front sides may be provided with suitable legends such as please stop (not shown).

In the present instance the arms are sel0 cured to stub shafts 12 and 12 journaled in the shoulder portions-of the figure and rovided with lateral extensions constitutmg levers 13 and 13. The free ends of the arms terminate in eyes 14 and 14" to which are connected one of the ends of cords 15 and 15 respectively, the other end of the cords being connected to the cross bar v16 ofa yoke 17, the legs 18 of which are provided at their free ends with eyes 19 receiving a pin 20 of U-shape driven into the figure 10. I i

The cross bar 16 of the yoke 17 carries a weight 21 in the form of a ball and co-acts therewith in forming a weighted member which by means of the pin 20, is ivoted or suspended on the figure 10, to t e end that upon swinging movement of the yoke under the action of the weight, from the normal position shown in full lines in figure 2 to the other extreme position shown 1n broken lines, a sufficient pulling movement will be exerted'upon the cords 15 and 15" for them to co-act with the levers 13 and 13 in movin lowered to ra sed position.

The cords are passed through the opening" formed by a brad 22 driven into thefi re 10 and also through the opening form by the -U-shaped pin 20 soas tobe guided and maintained "against displacement.

The device as above described is prefer ably supported within the body of an automobile at the rear window W thereofy'so as to be visible through the window from the rear of the vehicle. To this end'a suction cup 23 of elastic rubber is secured to the front of'the figure adjacent the feet portion thereof, and'when applied "to the window W as shown in Figure 2, su -ports the device in a fixed and upright position parallel to the plane of the window and sufliciently spaced from the latter to provide clearance for the movement of the arms between the Figure 10 and the window. i

The operation of the device is as follows; With the device applied as shown in Figure 2 and the automobile in forward motion as indicated by the arrowA, the arms. 11 andf,11 and the weight 21 wi1l occupy, the lowered positions shown in full lines the arms 11 and 11 from,

in Figures 1 and 2, under the action of gravity. However upon checking the forward motion of the vehicle, the inertia of the weight will cause the latter to momenlision.

Reference will now be had to Figures 3 and 4 wherein I have shown another form of my invention embodying a figure 10 similar to the figure 10, having arms 24 and 24 fixed to stub shafts 25 and 25 journaled in the shoulder portions of the figure and having securedthereto bevel gears 26 and 26 respectively. These gearsconstant- 1y mesh res ectively with other bevel gears 27 and 27" xed on the ends of a rock shaft 28 journaled in bearings 29 secured to the rear side of the figure.

The rock shaft 28 is provided medially with a lateral extension in the form of a rod 30 to the freeend of which is secured a weight 31 in the shape of a metallic ball. Under the action of the weight 3L the arms 24 and 24 occupy the lowered position shown in Figure 3 when the weight occupies the lowered position shown in Figure 4. Upon swinging of the weight outwardly to the position shownin broken lines in Figure 4, it will be clear that through the medium of the airs of bevel gears, the arms will be moved to the raised position shown in broken lines in Figure 3. To definitely limit the raised osition of the arms, at least one of the vel gears has its teeth mutilated at a predetermined location so as to co-actwith its mating gear in limiting rotation of the shaft 28. 1

This form of my invention is applied to a vehicle in the same manner as the form shown in Fi res 1 and 2 so that the inertia of the weig t 31 will cause the latter to momentarily raise the arms 24 and 24 when the. speed of the vehicle is checked.

Although I have herein shown and described only two forms of signaling device for vehicles embod ing my invention, it is to be understood t at various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim: I

1. A signaling device comprising a figure having arms, stub shafts journaled in the figure and to which the arms are secured, gears fixed to the stub shaft, a rock shaft journaled on the figure, other gears fixed to the rock shaft and meshing with the first mentioned ears, and a weighted member projecting rom the rock shaft for actuating the latter to move the arms from lowered to raised position or vice versa according as the weighted member swings to one extreme position or another.

2. A signaling device comprising a figure having arms, stub shafts journaled 1n the figure and to which the arms are secured, bevel gears fixed to the stub shaft, a rock shaft journaled on the figure, other bevel gearsfixed to the rock shaft and meshing with the first mentioned gears, and a weighted member projecting from the rock sha t for actuating the latter to move the arms from lowered to raised position or vice versa according as the weighted member swings to one extreme position or another, at least one of said gears having its teeth mutilated at such location as to co-act with its mating gear in definitely limiting the extent to which the arms can be raised by said member.

3. A signaling device comprising a support having arms, stub shafts journaled in the support and to which the arms are secured, a rock shaft journaled on the support, gears operatively connecting the rock shaft with the stub shafts, a weighted member secured to the rock shaft, for actuating the latter to raise or lower the arms according as the weighted member swings to one extreme osition or another, and means correlated with the gears to limit the extent to which the arms can. be raised by said member.

MONTE E. HOVER. 

